Strangers
by LautnerGrint
Summary: AU: Clarke has been distant, refusing to contact any of her friends for 8 years, refusing to contact him.. Then she's invited to a school reunion. (Yes I suck at blurbs haha, please read and review.)
1. Chapter 1

Clarke sighed heavily as she pulled on her heels, the realisation that _he _would be there fully dawning on her. Glancing at her reflection in the mirror, she wondered if she was slightly over dressed for a school reunion: A smart black dress clung to Clarke's curves and her blonde wavy hair tumbled around her face naturally, framing her cheekbones and alighting her icy blue eyes. Her slim legs were highlighted by the black high heels that she pulled on and she wondered why she was putting so much effort into her appearance. She denied the real reason echoing at the back of her mind, assuring herself it was just to make a good impression but _not _for him.

_This is crazy! _

Initially, she had tried to reason with herself - she would be seeing all of her old friends; Wells, Jasper, Monty, Octavia... But, ultimately, the fact that Bellamy Blake would be there overrode all rational thoughts causing a turbulence of emotions to cascade around her mind. She shivered as she thought of how long it had been since she had seen him, everyone for that matter... 8 years.

"No, you're not doing this today, Clarke. Get moving, you're going to be late." She told herself firmly as she quickly applied a fresh coat of mascara, the only make up to vacate her face. Plastering on a fake smile to prepare herself, she grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

* * *

"Clarke, it's good to see you," Wells smiled warmly as he pulled her in for a hug, "It's been a long time."

Clarke smiled, although it didn't quite reach her eyes; she didn't comment, they both knew why she had distanced herself from her long-term friends, why she had decided to throw everything that she had into her job and nothing else.

"You've changed, Wells." She replied, taking in his appearance then: his hair, once closely cropped, now lay in a loose pony tail resting on his shoulder and his face bore sharper features - she really had missed him.

"And you've not changed one bit," he grinned and Clarke couldn't help but grin back, her first genuine smile in a long time. She was beginning to feel relaxed, thinking that maybe the reunion wouldn't turn out so bad after all. "So you must be a lawyer now, right? Forgive me if I'm unsure, it's not like we haven't spoken for 8 years or anything." His eyes twinkled with humour yet his tone held another meaning; Clarke detected slight sadness in the tone of his voice and felt a twinge of guilt. She stubbornly pushed it to one side.

"Uh, yeah. I've been an official lawyer a year next Saturday, actually. It's been... Great." The truth was, Clarke enjoyed her work, but she had never felt more lonely. Pride was the only thing preventing her from contacting her friends... _Him. _She tried hard to focus on the conversation at hand, yet her heart was beating infuriatingly fast; a part of her really did want to see him. Badly.

_"_Well, you deserve that job. I hear you've worked your backside off to get to where you are, I'm proud of you - Oh, your mum keeps me up to date. Seeing as you don't..." He trails off, hurt in his eyes. Clarke feels annoyance beginning to bubble inside her and she frowns.

"Look, Wells. I didn't come here for a hard time. I came because I wanted to see you all... It's just-"

"Clarke?" A familiar voice cuts her short. Clarke turns around in her seat to see the face of Octavia beaming down at her.

"Octavia, wow! It's so nice to see you!" Clarke hurriedly gets up and pulls Octavia into a hug, realising only then how she has missed her best friend. She blinks back the tears as she pulls away, her brain flooded with emotions. Octavia grinns devilishly with that same old glint in her eye.

_Uh oh..._

"Clarke, I can't believe you actually showed up! Firstly, I owe you this- " She punches Clarke on the shoulder, hard, ignoring her protests. "Secondly, we _need _to catch up. Come sit with us, you too Wells." She glances at him briefly before grabbing Clarke by the wrist and pulling her over to a small table in the corner of the bar.

"For the record, I thought you'd do something, Octavia." Clarke chuckles approvingly as they walk towards the table, loving how Octavia's sense of humour has not been left in the past. She rubs her shoulder dramatically and Octavia laughs, hurrying her along.

Monty, Jasper and Finn greet her with warm smiles, settling Clarke's nerves in her stomach.

_Everything's going to be ok, _she told herself as she sat down and smiled back. _As long as you don't see Bellamy, or Raven for that matter, you could actually enjoy yourself._

* * *

The night had passed with a blur.

Her ears still ring with drunken laughter and cheesy pop music and her head pounds as she brushes her teeth back at home, an hour away from the club, the next morning. She had managed to go the whole night without seeing Bellamy _or _Raven, it was a miracle - Octavia had said that her brother and Raven were there, so it was odd that Clarke hadn't seen them. She chose not to dwell on it, however, but concentrated on this new found feeling of happiness; Clarke had felt sublime as she had finally allowed herself to uncoil and have a good time with her old friends, dancing without a care in the world.

And then she remembered.

Fuelled with alcohol, she had danced with Finn and Octavia, initially oblivious to her admirer across the dance floor. Finn danced a little too close for comfort but Clarke was reluctant to move back, secretly enjoying the attention. Octavia whirled around her and grabbed her hand, taking Clarke with her. The music suddenly changed and Octavia changed her movements accordingly, lost in the music, and Clarke couldn't help but grin. At once, the feelings had hit Clarke like a sky diver feels the rush from a plane; she had felt goosebumps rise on her skin, coating her bare arms and legs. Biting her lip, she continued to dance. Her heart fluttered as that familiar form had made it's way into her peripheral vision; wearing his trademark black leather jacket, Bellamy was leaning against the opposite wall, a can of Cider in hand. Raven was stood huddled up next to him, a smile on her face as she observed the dancing people, unaware of Bellamy's stare.

He had looked right at her. Had watched her dance, his eyes following her every movement like a gentle caress. And damn, was she aware of how close he was.

She had refused to look at him. Refused to acknowledge the old feelings he was stirring, feelings she had wished away over several sleepless nights from the days following on from the incident.

But... She had given in. She had looked _back._

When their eyes had met, a small smirk playfully danced across Bellamy's lips as Clarke became transfixed; his brown eyes burned intensely into hers, coaxing her into a puddle of nerves; they were full of an emotion Clarke could not decipher sufficiently in her drunken state and he cocked his head to one side curiously as she stopped dancing slowly, unable to look away. Raven, who was engaged in conversation with a woman Clarke didn't recognise, didn't notice Bellamy move. He began to walk towards her, his eyes locked on hers with a fierce determination, and that's when she had snapped out of her reverie. Muttering apologies to Octavia and Finn, she had swiftly walked back towards the table to grab her bag and was out of the door shortly after. As she had left, she had turned her head once more to see Bellamy stood in the spot that she had just left. A look of disappointment had flitted through his eyes, but it had gone as quickly as it came. Her heart had sunk as she left.

Now, gazing unseeingly into her bowl of cereals, she wondered if she should in fact meet Octavia for lunch at Octavia's house. Why had she agreed, knowing Bellamy could visit at any time?

_You can't back out now. __Coward._

Sighing with defeat, she changed into her running gear and, locking the door behind her, Bellamy Blake was pushed to the back of her mind. For now.

* * *

**So this is my first 100 fic, I absolutely adore Bellark so I tried this. I'm not 100% though, what do you all think? Do you think I should carry on or leave it as a one shot. Feedback would be much appreciated, but go easy on me as I've had writers block ;) Haha, thank you to everyone in advance. **


	2. Chapter 2

_The moon had glistened against a backdrop of stars casting a spotlight on the couple through the open window, a gentle breeze dancing across their skin. Her heart was thumping against her ribcage, the inexorable tears threatening to fall._

_"Clarke, listen..." Bellamy had begun, his eyes pleading. He reached out for her in vain; she stepped back, looking anywhere but at him. Clarke knew her resolve would crumble instantly, even if she merely glanced at him - she knew she would be in too deep to escape, particularly in her uncharacteristic fragile state._

_ She took a deep breath._

_"No, Bellamy. I've said what I needed to. Save it." She looked at him then with cold, hard eyes. "I'm leaving tomorrow."_

Octavia snapped her fingers in front of Clarke's face, pulling her out of her thoughts, chuckling.

"Are you even listening? Wow, you must have had a lot to drink last night. What made you leave so early?" She asked, sinking back into her armchair and handing Clarke her second coffee. Clarke took a sip, biding her time - should she lie and pretend that she was just tired? That work was getting to her? Or tell her the truth? She sighed inwardly; maybe telling someone would take some of the weight off of her chest.

They had been at Octavia's house for over an hour, reminiscing, gossiping and simply catching up on all of the lost time. Now, however, Octavia was attending to Clarke's self-imposed brick wall; she was going to smash through it with as much force as she could muster.

"To be honest, Octavia, I... I just couldn't handle seeing Bellamy again, not right now. I didn't realise how unprepared I was to meet him again - or Raven for that matter." Noticing how husky her voice sounded, Clarke took another sip of her coffee. Saying it aloud only made her feel worse and more angry at how weak she was appearing.

_His soft lips captured hers, conveying all of the things he could not say; a slow, passionate kiss that ignited wild feelings to stir within them. Clarke kissed back, initially yielding to the strength of his kiss, but the betrayal she felt overrode all of her fierce desires and love for him. She reluctantly pulled back._

"I knew it! Clarke, I'm not saying you have to see him _right now. _Hell, I'm not saying you have to see him any time soon. What they did was unforgivable - at that time. But, come on, you _have _to talk to him at some point, Princess. At least hear his side of the story?" Octavia shot her a stern look. "Please?"

Clarke's heart jumped at Octavia's use of "princess," remembering it was Bellamy who had first created her nickname. They were 9. She was unwilling to join in the popular kids games, for she deemed them too "childish and pointless." Ever since, the nickname had stuck... And yet the name held a completely new meaning when Bellamy had ever spoken it; it did something to her that no one else could ever elicit. The way it rolled off of his tongue made her feel the same way his hands had once felt on her skin.

She stared into her almost empty coffee cup with despair, irritation rising in her. Octavia was right, of course.

"We'll have to see, won't we?" Clarke smiled, a small smile filled with promises. Octavia winked, pleased with her work.

"So," Clarke started, changing the subject. "Tell me about this guy, Lincoln?"

* * *

"Well it was great to see you, we'll have to do this again. You have my number, Clarke. Don't be a stranger." Octavia quickly hugged Clarke before playfully shoving her forward, "Now I've gotta go look pretty, Lincoln's picking me up in half an hour. Think about what I said, ok?"

"It's been great, I'll definitely call you." Clarke grinned, "I've gotta go do some grocery shopping now anyway, see you soon, have fun!"

"Call me!" Octavia called as she bounded up the stairs. Clarke smiled and pulled open the door, only to bump straight into Bellamy's chest. She froze, her smile fading as her breath caught in her throat with surprise.

_Uh oh._

"Hello, Princess. I didn't expect to see you here." Bellamy regarded her curiously, the weight of his stare sending tingles down her spine. How did he always manage to that to her? Just one look and she was gone.

"Bellamy. " Clarke replied, annoyed to hear that her voice was barely above a whisper. She realised then how close she was stood to him; there was only a slither of air between them, she could almost count his eyelashes. She tried to ignore the feel of his warm breath upon her skin as he stood entranced. His lips were right above hers and all of the hurt she had initially felt diminished, clouding her vision. She realised she was far from over him like she had been telling herself for all of these years.

His eyes roamed her face slowly, as if memorising every little detail, making up for the lost time. The corner of his mouth curved as he gazed down at her lips, his breathing noticeably hitching.

_No._

She stepped back, much to Bellamy's disappointment.

"I was just leaving." She said, pushing past him. He grabbed her wrist gently, pulling her back to face him.

"I think we need to talk, Princess. You left the party before I could speak to you." His voice was low and he still hadn't let go of her wrist.

"Uh, can we do this another time?" Clarke began, really not feeling up to it. Goosebumps rose from the contact and she quickly pulled her arm out of his grasp.

"Meet me at the diner, Friday at 6:00? We can talk over food, you know how much I like burgers." He smiled sadly, almost making Clarke feel guilty.

_Hey, you're the victim in all of this._

"Well, I finish work at 5:00 so that should be okay." Clarke replied hesitantly, unsure if she really wanted to talk to him. She held back a snigger at her own thoughts; of course she did. Who was she kidding? She needed to talk to him, if only to end the long nights of torment she endured, replaying the scene over and over in her mind.

"See you then, Princess." Bellamy locked his gaze onto Clarke's for a few seconds longer before winking and heading back inside. Dread filled her heart as she watched him leave.

Wow, what had she agreed to?

* * *

**Sorry for the long update, I've had the sickness bug! (Not nice!) I hope this chapter was okay, be prepared for some Bellarke next chapter :) Sorry this was short, I promise to update quicker next time, my lovelies. Thanks for all the support on the first chapter. Feedback would be appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

_He observed the farewell silently from his car, hidden from her vision. A fierce sensation of longing wrapped it's bitter arms around him as she said goodbye to her mum; despair and anger burned within him like wildfire, enveloping and swelling his heart that felt like a foreign body inside of him; that it no longer belonged to him - he didn't deserve to feel the things he was enduring, he knew that he was being selfish... He was the reason that she was leaving. But sitting in the car, he had never felt less in control of his limbs. His mind screamed frantically for him to move, to do something, but his body would not co-operate. His mouth went dry as he saw her body start to quake. He just had to do something, surely he wasn't just going to sit there and let her leave? Walk out of his life without knowing the truth? Surely he could make things right?_

_The tears fell treacherously down her face as she turned away from her mum, climbing into her car. Her mum walked towards the boot and placed a suitcase into it before shutting it and stepping back. She bent down and said something to her daughter through the window, her own face glistening with tears. She finally stepped back and the girl pulled away. _

_He let out a shaky breath that he hadn't realised he was holding, his own vision blurring with unshed tears, betraying his anguish. He pounded the steering wheel and emitted a frustrated groan as the tears fell._

_She was gone._

* * *

Bellamy Blake was definitely _not _the type of person to feel nervous, particularly around women. Some would say he had a natural charm that entrapped any woman within his vicinity. Who ever he desired he could obtain with one simple little flirtatious smile. One gentle, flirtatious touch of the elbow accompanied with a smouldering gaze and they were putty in his hands. Now, however, he was _definitely _feeling nervous; the kind of nervous that only Clarke could ever elicit, although he blamed the hot weather for his sweaty palms.

Sighing, he slid down into a booth at the back of the diner and gazed out of the window, attempting to block out the cheesy music playing on the speakers overhead and ignoring his thundering heart. The sky was aflame with a luminous orange, tinged with scarlet and yellow; the sun was still setting just above the horizon. Bellamy wondered if Clarke would show up after all, remembering the last time they had decided to meet at a diner.

Clarke had fallen asleep after an exhausting day helping her mum do the rounds; Abby was a carer, attending to people of all ages at their homes and her work had assigned her more clients than usual. He smiled as he remembered driving to her house that evening and finding her crashed out on her bed, fully clothed in the dress she had obviously intended to wear for the diner, her stereo playing music softly in the background: _Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars._ He had gently smoothed her soft curls away from her face - careful not to wake her - and, cupping her face in his hands, he had bent down and placed a feather-light kiss on her lips. She had stirred and they had talked all night, listening to music, with Clarke laying on Bellamy's stomach and he tenderly running his fingers through her hair. They had worked out some issues, Bellamy had promised that he wouldn't do it again. Of course, he reflected guiltily, it had happened again...

"Ahem." Clarke coughed to capture Bellamy's attention. She was stood in front of him with a shadow of a smile on her face, her hair pulled loosely into a pony tail, wearing a casual blue vest top and denim shorts. Bellamy couldn't help but drink her in for a moment, admiring her long legs and small waist. Realising he was staring, he hastily flashed Clarke a grin as she slid into the booth, leaning on her forearms. He tried to relax. He could do this.

"Princess." He nodded his head in acknowledgement, thankful that his voice had came out sounding pretty normal. He couldn't help but smirk at the way her eyes snapped to his with the use of her nickname. "I didn't think you'd show up. Three days in a row, I'm flattered." He saw the slight tinge to Clarke's cheeks, well aware of the effect he had over her - it was exactly the same effect she had on him, and he wished she would realise the fact that she will always make him feel this way.

_You haven't made it easy, though. _He defiantly ignored the small voice in the back of his mind.

"Bellamy, always the flirt. That's what I both loved and hated about you," Clarke retorted, a slight edge to her voice. Bellamy felt a tinge of frustration but he quickly chose to hide it with a hint of a smile. He had expected Clarke to be initially difficult, he could handle this.

"You still love it, Princess - don't fight it. Now, are you ready to order? It all looks good." His eyes danced as he passed her a menu, careful to allow his fingertips to brush against hers.

Clarke bit back a smile; he really was the same old Bellamy. Could she really let it go?

* * *

They stepped outside into the cool night air, the severity of their current situation hitting them hard. The evening had been pleasant and sweet; the food had been good and they had both genuinely enjoyed themselves, much to Bellamy's surprise. He had expected a hard time. He definitely did not expect that both of them would be flirting back and forth all night, giggling like they were teenagers once more. Now, the air crackled with tension with the unspoken words that had haunted their thoughts all night, so much so that Clarke felt them as if they were a physical presence.

Bellamy swallowed deeply as Clarke gazed up at him with a calculating expression, the wind whipping at her loose strands of curls that had escaped. Unthinkingly, he reached out and tucked a loose strand behind her ear, his fingers lingering. Clarke shivered; she told herself it was because of the wind, that it had _nothing _to do with Bellamy's proximity or his fingers on her skin.

"I had fun, Princess. Really... It was nice. Can I call you?" Bellamy's voice is quiet as he breaks the silence, finally dropping his hand. He is hesitant but the emotion that the words held was not lost on Clarke. Clarke stares at the ground, a sudden frown vacating her face. He thinks that he's pushed too far, too soon. Her silence is driving him crazy and, when he finally accepts that she doesn't want to see him again, she speaks. Her voice is just above a whisper, the soft tones almost lost to the wind.

"What about Raven?" She finally lifts her chin defiantly, holding his gaze, a sudden fire burning within her eyes.

_That's the Clarke I remember well._

"Me and Raven, we're not a thing Clarke. We never were-" Bellamy begins, reaching for her hand. However, she quickly steps back from his grasp and wraps her arms around herself, avoiding his gaze, pointedly waiting for the rest of his explanation. The movement brings his attention to her shivers and he suddenly acknowledges her lack of clothing now that the sun has set. "Clarke, you're freezing. Let's not do this out here, okay? Just-" He pauses, reaching forward and pulling her towards him. She stiffens and attempts to move out of his hold but his solid arms determinedly wrap around her more tightly.

"Princess, I'm trying to warm you up while we decide what to do here. Please." He says, voice low. He pulls back enough to search her face. His weighted gaze paralyses her futile attempts to break free and she finally relaxes into his grasp, her hands resting on his chest. He closes his eyes as she snuggles closer, breathing in his scent of leather and mint and just pure B_ellamy. _His hands rub up and down her bare arms, leaving a trail of flames in their wake. The tension caused by her question dissolves immediately.

"Dammit, I wish I'd have brought a jacket. Although, you're like a furnace so..." Clarke murmurs into his chest, warmth flooding her body. She ignores the rush of blood soaring to her cheeks that are accompanied by butterflies, fluttering in her stomach, and focuses on the sounds of the busy traffic around them and the faint sound of the music from the diner. Bellamy chuckles and rests his chin on her head, the feel of her in his arms causing a hurricane of emotions to fight for dominance inside of him.

"Here's the deal. I'll take you home, we have a drink, I'll talk. But, dammit, if we don't get out of this cold soon, I'm going to turn into an ice block. What do you say?"

His heart quickens as she pulls back. They both shiver, the cold once again engulfing them. Bellamy briefly acknowledges the disappointment he feels that she is no longer in his arms, but then she's biting her lip in contemplation and he fights back a smile, knowing that he's convinced her.

"Okay, but if this is just an excuse to see where I live..." She pauses, smiling, "I'm not going to be held responsible for turning you into a human ice cube, after all."

"Can I remind you that you're the recluse in all of this? I wouldn't have to bribe you if you left your house every now and again." Bellamy slowly grins watching her expression growing into annoyance. Grabbing her hand, he leads her towards his car.

"Wow. I, and my fifteen cats, are extremely offended" she pouts, climbing into the soft leather seats of his old Ford. Bellamy drags his eyes away from her lips as he starts the engine, fighting back the urge to wipe that pretty little pout off of her face for good. Instead, he settles on leaning unnecessarily close as he flicks through the radio stations. He finally settles on one. It's playing one of his favourite songs.

_Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars. _


End file.
